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As the demon fell, gasping for breath he couldn’t catch, black blood spurted out. Bjorn yanked Fox to the side, avoiding contact with the substance far more corrosive than acid. Then, he palmed the sword of fire to finish the creature off.
That done, he turned to Fox, baffled. “You saved me from injury.”
“I know. That’ll cost you another ten thousand dollars.” Smiling sweetly, she cleaned the bloody dagger on his robe.
He could almost see the dollar signs in her eyes and fought another smile of his own. “So, you are a bodyguard as well as a badass. Good to know.”
What was he going to do with this woman?
* * * *
Bjorn recruited fifty soldiers, while Fox stood at his side, unmoving and quiet. The Warriors glared at her with hatred and menace, and his mood continued to darken.
Why didn’t she ask questions, or share her thoughts about each individual?
That night, he slept on one side of the bed, and she slept on the other. They did not speak, touch, or try to tempt each other sexually. His emotions were too rough and raw, and they did not improve with the rise of the sun.
And yet, when he climbed out of bed, he felt as if he’d shed a hundred pounds of baggage. He’d slept with a beautiful woman he admired. Someone he hungered to possess, who made him smile with her quick wit and guarded his back as well as Thane and Xerxes. Fox might be pardoned today. What did he have to complain about?
Bright sunlight filtered through the bedroom window, bathing Fox, who still lay on her side, eyes closed. His shaft ached to fill her.
Trembling like a lad, he reached out to trace his fingertips along the rise of her cheeks, only to snatch his hand back before contact. Would his willpower splinter with the first touch?
The mattress suddenly bounced as Fox jolted upright. “What? What’s wrong?” she demanded, reaching under her pillow. Where she usually kept a dagger? “Did Alana summon you?”
Took him a moment to realize she directed the question at him. That she hadn’t glanced in his direction but remained aware of him…the sweetest progress.
“There’s been no summons.” Alana always waited two or three weeks between summons to ensure he’d regained his strength, just so she could drain him again.
Although, Alana must have sensed his arousal last night. Must sense his arousal even now. Perhaps she would believe he’d self-pleasured. If ever she learned the truth…
A ragged growl brewed in his chest. If Alana harmed Fox, Bjorn would…he would…
He balled his fists. Nothing seemed dark enough.
He forced his thoughts to the matter at hand. “We have more meetings today.”
She groaned. “Can I call in sick? Yesterday, I stood at your side and stayed quiet. Don’t think I didn’t realize everyone glared daggers at me, hoping you’d slay me while they watched. And I’m not complaining. I deserve it. I did them bad, and I need to make amends.”
This was the first time she’d spoken about making any kind of amends, and damn if he didn’t shed another hundred pounds of baggage.
“At least your presence mutes Distrust some,” she grumbled, then blew a lock of hair from her eyes.
A tendril of satisfaction wafted through him. So, he aided her with Distrust just as she aided him with his past. “Have you ever been in love?” The sudden change of subject proved jarring, but he didn’t snatch back the words.
“Nope,” she answered, not missing a beat. “You?”
“Once. Her name was Leema, and she left me for another male.”
“Then she’s an idiot.” Fox reached over to pat his shoulder. As he’d feared, contact nearly obliterated his resolve. How would he ever win their bet? Control slipping… “You’re the best person I know.”
Awe punched him so hard, he lost his breath. Ten words, yet they profoundly impacted his life. Fox found genuine worth in him. Him.
If he didn’t get out of this bed right now, he wouldn’t be getting out at all. He would strip her, pin her beneath him, spread her legs, and finally, blessedly surge inside her.
She must make the first move. He would receive a boon of his choice, and he wanted, needed to request a second chance for his friends. They were a part of his life…but so was Fox. The three had to make peace.
He had to get this woman to break. Soon!
* * * *
Seven more days passed, yet Fox never broke.
The frustration Bjorn had expected to feel on day two? It plagued him relentlessly now, and he wondered what boon she hoped to ask of him. Freedom?
Pang. He’d gone eight days without sleep. Eight days without a kiss, a caress, or a climax. He missed the giving and receiving of pleasure as much as a limb.
Shockingly enough, he’d begun to trust her. She’d made zero attempts to flee, and she hadn’t attacked him once. Instead, she’d protected him as if she actually…liked him.
Did she?
Doesn’t matter. Focus. He had a job to do. And he’d already rewarded her for her actions, allowing her to text Galen about her well-being.
This is focusing? Mind on the matter at hand. Right. So far, Bjorn had recruited ninety-seven Warriors. Three more, and he would complete his Underworld-bound army.
A group of twelve stood before him now, listening to his spiel. I will be fair but demanding…betrayal of any kind would not be tolerated…opportunity for advancement…
Leema occupied a spot in the audience. When Bjorn was promoted to Elite, she had been promoted to Warrior. He’d invited others, and one of them issued the invite to her.
Twice she’d attempted to pull him aside for a chat. The first time, he’d kindly let her down. The second, he’d been blunter. Rumor suggested she and her partner split not too long ago. He wondered if she hoped to rekindle their romance.
How should I feel about that? He didn’t know.
What he did know? No matter how many times his gaze returned to her, his body remained unaffected. Which surprised him. She hadn’t changed in the least. Same fall of pale hair, same golden skin. Same sparkling blue eyes and plump, pink lips. Same short but curvy figure with large breasts and wide hips. Once, he’d considered her the most beautiful female in all the worlds. Now? She did not compare to Fox, who radiated strength, admiration, and calm.
He towered upon the dais usually reserved for the band, Fox at his side as usual. Thane and Xerxes had finished selecting their Warriors early this morning, and they flanked Fox. They watched her intently, but not with their usual malevolence. He—
Hardened like steel when he finished his speech, and Fox rose on her tiptoes to whisper into his ear, “Why is the blonde undressing you with her gaze?”
He pinched the bridge of his nose, as if praying for patience before whispering back, “I used to date her.”
“What!?” she blurted out. “Seriously?”
A nod, then he resumed his speech. Half of the males and all of the females cast Fox glance after glance. Some crackled with hostility, others smoldered with curiosity. Some burned with lust. The first sparks of fury scalded his chest.
Finally, Bjorn snaked an arm around her waist and tugged her in front of him, staking a visual claim. She leaned back, a little smug and a lot sexy, and got comfortable.
Now everyone’s eyes widened, the crowd agape. Pointing to the males with lust in their eyes, he said, “You, you, you and you may go. I suggest you hurry.”
The four males remained in place, frowning and glancing around, obviously confused.
“You do not look at my wo—prisoner in such a way and receive a reward,” he grated. Had he almost referred to Fox as his woman amid a crowd of Sent Ones? Did it matter? Since he spent every waking second thinking about getting her naked, she kind of was his woman.
“Does he need to repeat himself, or do I need to start beheading?” Thane asked with a casual tone.
He and Xerxes stepped out of the shadows, two menacing towers of strength. The foursome jumped to their feet and raced from the nightclub
.
“You, you and you can go, too,” Fox said, then turned her attention to Bjorn. “I could have snuck up on them at least a dozen times and slit their throats. They are too easily distracted, and they’ll cost you in battle.”
Excellent point. When the four looked to him, as if waiting for him to admonish Fox, he didn’t hesitate to send the threesome out the door, as well.
Leema leaped up, her chair skidding behind her. “Is she the kind of person you spend time with now? Why are you associating with her, Bjorn? You’re better than this. You know that she murdered ten of our people, yes?” Fury crackled in her voice. “She’s vile, disgusting trash and she deserves—”
